The last-minute economic development deal reached late Tuesday confirmed what casino operators, major league sports owners and sports betting evangelists feared: Massachusetts lawmakers won’t legalize sports wagering — at least not yet.
Lawmakers reached a deal on a nearly $627 million economic development bill early Wednesday, filing the conference report to the House clerk after 1 a.m. Traditionally, bills that aren’t enacted by 11:59 p.m. on the last night of the two-year legislative session die, but legislators are testing the limits of the emergency rules they adopted to extend the session during the COVID-19 pandemic and continue to work through several bills.
The jobs bill includes small business grants, a compromise that changes zoning laws to reduce barriers to housing production and funding meant to stimulate the tourism and restaurant industries during the pandemic-fueled recession — but no sports betting.